Key Findings
ScamVerify™ analyzed 1,512,857 FTC complaints covering 608,145 unique phone numbers to produce the most comprehensive robocall statistics report available. Here are the headline numbers.
Finding 1: Debt reduction robocalls have the highest automation rate at 89% and the most complaints (345,670).
Finding 2: Lottery and prize scams have the lowest robocall rate at 36% - meaning 64% use live agents, making them the most human-operated scam type.
Finding 3: The top 3 identified scam rings collectively operate 197 phone numbers generating 15,374 complaints.
The Full Data Snapshot
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total FTC complaints | 1,512,857 |
| Unique scam phone numbers (FTC) | 608,145 |
| FCC phone complaint summaries | 70,216 |
| URLhaus malicious domains | 69,088 |
Robocall Rate by Category
This is the data that makes this report unique. No other source publishes category-by-category robocall percentages derived from FTC complaint data.
| Rank | Category | Complaints | Robocall % | Human % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Debt reduction | 345,670 | 89% | 11% |
| 2 | Medical & prescriptions | 113,158 | 67% | 33% |
| 3 | Impersonation (govt/business) | 154,716 | 67% | 33% |
| 4 | Dropped call / no message | 145,480 | 57% | 43% |
| 5 | Computer & tech support | 6,857 | 58% | 42% |
| 6 | Home improvement | 19,601 | 45% | 55% |
| 7 | Warranties & protection | 13,742 | 52% | 48% |
| 8 | Energy & utilities | 13,560 | 51% | 49% |
| 9 | Lotteries & prizes | 7,470 | 36% | 64% |
| 10 | Vacation & timeshares | 7,182 | 24% | 76% |
| 11 | Home security | 4,258 | 67% | 33% |
| 12 | Charities | 4,219 | 57% | 43% |
| 13 | Work from home | 3,838 | 51% | 49% |
| 14 | Other (unclassified) | 584,520 | 63% | 37% |
What the Robocall Rates Reveal
High automation (75%+): Debt reduction is a volume game. At 89% robocall, these operations blast millions of calls daily at fractions of a cent each. The goal is to generate "press 1" responses from a tiny fraction of recipients.
Medium automation (50-75%): Medical, impersonation, and tech support scams use a mix of automated initial contact and human follow-up. The robocall makes first contact; a live agent handles the actual scam.
Low automation (under 50%): Lottery, timeshare, and home improvement scams rely on human interaction. These require conversation, rapport-building, and adaptation. They have fewer total complaints but potentially higher per-victim losses.
Toll-Free vs Local Numbers
| Type | Unique Numbers | Total Complaints | Avg/Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toll-free (800/833/844/855/866/877/888) | 4,105 | 69,559 | 16.9 |
| Local | 8,953 | 78,676 | 8.8 |
Toll-free numbers generate 1.9x more complaints per number than local numbers. This is driven by scam rings that acquire toll-free numbers in sequential blocks.
The Scam Ring Landscape
ScamVerify identified 15 coordinated scam rings through prefix-block analysis. The three largest:
| Ring | Prefix | Numbers | Complaints | Robocall % | Scam Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 833-4872 | 135 | 7,728 | 91% | Debt reduction |
| #2 | 866-9590/9591 | 29 | 4,347 | 87% | Debt reduction |
| #3 | 855-9090 | 33 | 3,299 | 86% | Debt reduction |
Combined: 197 numbers, 15,374 complaints, all focused on debt reduction, all using toll-free prefixes.
Top 10 Area Codes
| Rank | Code | Type | Numbers | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 833 | Toll-free | 892 | 19,520 |
| 2 | 866 | Toll-free | 670 | 13,030 |
| 3 | 855 | Toll-free | 547 | 9,267 |
| 4 | 888 | Toll-free | 681 | 8,014 |
| 5 | 877 | Toll-free | 517 | 7,807 |
| 6 | 844 | Toll-free | 494 | 7,117 |
| 7 | 800 | Toll-free | 304 | 4,804 |
| 8 | 315 | Syracuse, NY | 123 | 2,798 |
| 9 | 202 | Washington, DC | 164 | 1,592 |
| 10 | 201 | New Jersey | 157 | 1,416 |
The Top 10 Most-Reported Numbers
| Rank | Number | Complaints | Robocall % | Primary Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (877) 419-6664 | 1,772 | 96% | Debt reduction |
| 2 | (866) 959-0957 | 660 | 87% | Debt reduction |
| 3 | (866) 959-0960 | 616 | 88% | Debt reduction |
| 4 | (833) 487-2543 | 534 | 89% | Debt reduction |
| 5 | (866) 959-1606 | 488 | 88% | Debt reduction |
| 6 | (877) 556-9255 | 472 | 98% | Impersonation |
| 7 | (209) 655-4105 | 457 | 88% | Debt reduction |
| 8 | (934) 947-9605 | 425 | 92% | Debt reduction |
| 9 | (855) 909-0822 | 404 | 91% | Debt reduction |
| 10 | (844) 487-3324 | 384 | 84% | Debt reduction |
9 out of 10 are debt reduction. The sole exception is #6, an impersonation number at 98% robocall.
Pure Robocallers (100% Automated)
These numbers have a perfect 100% robocall rate with 20+ complaints:
| Number | Complaints | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| (773) 801-3815 | 146 | Dropped call / no message |
| (224) 200-9918 | 128 | Debt reduction |
| (318) 359-6370 | 116 | Other |
| (678) 743-3240 | 94 | Other |
| (626) 664-1636 | 82 | Debt reduction |
| (360) 998-0440 | 82 | Debt reduction |
These are fully automated lines with zero human interaction.
Methodology
- Data source: FTC Do Not Call complaints (1,512,857 records), FCC phone complaint summaries (70,216 records), URLhaus malicious domains (69,088 records)
- Analysis period: All available data through March 2026
- Robocall classification: Based on FTC complaint field indicating whether the call was a prerecorded/artificial voice message
- Scam ring detection: Phone numbers grouped by 7-digit prefix, filtered for 3+ numbers and 50+ combined complaints
FAQ
How accurate is the FTC complaint data?
FTC complaint data reflects what consumers voluntarily report. It likely undercounts actual scam call volume by 10-50x (most people do not report). The relative proportions between categories are useful for understanding the scam landscape, but absolute numbers represent minimums.
Why do debt reduction scams dominate so completely?
Three factors: the broadest possible target market (most Americans have debt), the lowest possible cost (89% robocall), and a simple pitch that requires no customization. The economics allow operations to profitably run even with extremely low conversion rates.
How often does this data update?
ScamVerify's FTC data syncs regularly through automated pipeline updates. New complaints are incorporated into our analysis as they are added to the FTC database. Check ScamVerify for the most current data.
